Forgetful Jones.

I totally and completely forgot to post anything yesterday. I also forgot to do anything. I remembered at about 1:00 a.m. but it was too late to turn back time. I'm not sure how this all happened but I don't really like it—I hope it isn't a sign of things to come. I will definitely make a concerted effort to prevent consistent forgetfulness insha Allah (Allah willing).

But as they say in the meetings "today's another day" or "you live to die another day" or "live and let go" or something like that. I don't know, I never went to one.

This guy got way too many chances though. But that's like, my opinion, man. 

At least I didn't forget to brush my teeth or something. That's just grody.




EXERCISE
Today's walk over lunch to the co-op for some Office Snax (shout out to BC) wasn't the most peaceful or satisfying, but it got the job done. It was pretty hot, windy, and "sandy" because of construction so there were all kinds of things flying into my eyes and mouth. I think some bugs also got under my collar because it certainly felt like it. Or it was just my hair on my neck. I need a haircut. Bad. Anyway I am proud of myself for using restraint at the store and not buying a bunch of heavy stuff like milk and juice or whatnot. Especially since I had class tonight. I'm always trying to grocery shop over lunch to "save time" then I end up spending the same amount of time looking for ways to keep it all cold until I get home at 10:30. Last time I bought a gallon of ice cream and we don't have a freezer at work. I mean, who DOES that?

Health Tip of the Day for Working Girls: Keep some healthy snacks at the office like apples, Lärabars, yogurt, string cheese, and dark chocolate. You will have a chocolate attack so you might as well have two squares of 70% than a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (and let's face it, you will eat both). Getting all crazy because you are hungry at 3:27 p.m. and the dumb printer is "offline" again and someone's yelling into their phone in Arabic in the other room is NOT healthy.

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ISLAM
It's Wednesday so that means my weekly trek to Sh. Hatem's lecture. Today the topic was "The Cure for Arrogance" which is a great follow up to the AlMaghrib class we just had with his student Omar Suleiman. Sh. Hatem cautioned us against getting too excited when our duas (supplications) are answered right away, because everything in this life, good and bad, is a test. Actually wealth and success can be a bigger test than poverty and sickness because they are fuel for the ego.

If we let our ego get away from us, we might start thinking we don't need the Sunnah (example of the Prophet ﷺ. Sh. Hatem relayed a saying of Imam Malik (May Allah's mercy be upon him) that "The Sunnah is like Noah's (Nuh's) ark: Whoever boards it will be saved. Whoever leaves it will be doomed." We need to have both sincerity and the correct procedure to ultimately succeed. They cannot be separated. The sheikh compared it to fishing. If you have a beautiful brand-new net, perfect and with no holes or defects and you know exactly what to do (correct procedure), but you go to a lake with no fish in it (lack of sincerity to follow the Messenger) you will not catch anything. If you go to a lake with a lot of fish (you are sincere), but your net is full of holes and you don't know what you're doing, you might catch some fish (rewards) but not many and with much greater effort.

Another example: If you want to buy a gift for your mother, is it better to go to the mall, drop $1,000 on the first thing you see, have them wrap it up, and send it to her in the mail; or should you spend some time thinking about what she wants, asking her friends and sisters, and looking online, etc until you find the perfect gift, even if it costs $50? Which one shows more love? Isn't Allah most deserving of our attentive love?

On that note, it's raining (best time for dua) and I need to pray Ishaa'. If my dua is answered, make dua that I can stay vigilant in my struggle against myself insha Allah!